Team Mintridge were really excited to be joined by the incredible Heather Fell OLY, as she spoke to the students at Howell’s School as part of their Talented Athlete Programme (TAP). Heather spent the evening with the students talking about her journey in Modern Pentathlon and beyond but also the highs and lows that come with competing for Great Britain at the top of your sport.

Heather made a big impact on the students during the presentation and Q&A programme, as she spoke about the highs and lows on her journey to Olympic success. Heather has faced a lot of challenges on her journey and she made it very clear to the students on the call that everyone faces challenges and setbacks, but the strongest ones pick themselves up and carry on. The students on the call could really relate to this area of Heather’s life and were really interested in the particular challenges she faces when having to compete on horses you don’t know, when your funding gets cut and how to come back from injury.

“You always need to make sure you are looking at the bigger picture, we all have strengths and weaknesses, so you need to find what makes you the best athlete and person to reach your own personal goals!”

As the presentation went on, Heather also expressed the importance of always putting in 100% effort and always doing that extra 1% more than your competitors, to stand out from everyone else. Heather spoke about this in detail when talking about the selection process for the GB Modern Pentathlon squad, especially when they were picking the teams for the Olympics. Heather got the students on the call thinking about how they can push themselves that 1% further and harder to stand out, whether that is in a sporting context or outside of sport in their exams or personal hobbies. Heather said she has some favourite mottos which she lives by, including this one.

“Take a moment to think about your why and if your why is there and your purpose is there, then you will keep moving forward!”

Heather also spoke a lot about her life after retiring from elite sport, showcasing to the students on the call that you can still do so much with your life, even when the Olympic Games is no longer a focus, or you have achieved what you set out to do. This inspired those on the call, to keep reaching and working at all that they do and to make sure their academic studies are something they always have in their back pocket, in case their career gets cut short.

From this, Heather spoke to the students in detail about diet and nutrition, which is a passion of hers. Heather talked about how important it is to hydrate and eat appropriate energy giving foods before and after training, or a competition, as well as to always warm up and cool down, as those are the most important things for injury prevention.

The students at Howell’s School asked Heather some fantastic questions, here are some of the best ones.

“How do you keep yourself motivated after a bad day?”

“How do you cope with muscle soreness after a hard competition?”

“How do you mentally prepare yourself before a competition?”

“Do you get nervous?”

“How do you deal with nerves?”

“How do you pick yourself up after an injury?”

“Do you have any tips on injury prevention?”

“What heights are the show jumping rounds in juniors and seniors?”

“How did it feel getting to know your horse twenty minutes before a round?”

“How do you get yourself mentally ready to before you compete?”

“What are some of the things that have helped you overcome injuries?”

“What advice can you give a young athlete who has missed training and competing due to COVID-19?”

We were delighted to be able to join the students from Howell’s School alongside the amazing Heather Fell, for an inspirational evening. Thank you to the staff at Howell’s School for helping to organise this amazing programme and allowing us to virtually visit you. We can’t wait for our next visit with a few more of our inspirational female role models!

The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.

Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.

The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.

To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.

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